You have a solid network of informants.
Prerequisite:
Benefit: You receive a +4 bonus on general Gather Information checks. You gain three national contacts or one global contact; each confers a +8 bonus on your Gather Information checks in a specific area of interest.
Special:
Special:Special:
Special:
Special: The contacts gained with this feat are in addition to those from Well-Connected.
Kingpin
You don’t just curry favor with powerful individuals; you are the ultimate arbiter of favor. You have many capable folks convinced (perhaps fraudulently) that it is in their best interests to provide you with any favor, information or advantage they can.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: Well-Connected, Information Broker; character level 5th.
Benefit:
Benefit:Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: You receive a +6 bonus on general Gather Information checks. On a successful DC 13 Charisma check, you know of a nearby contact anywhere in the known world who confers a +10 bonus on your Gather Information checks on a local area of interest of your choosing. You can also prevail upon this contact for free food and lodging for a number of weeks (if you’re alone) or days (if you’re with a group) equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). The contact’s receptiveness does not extend to floating you a million-dollar loan or committing felonies at your request.
Special:
Special:Special:
Special:
Special: You retain the contacts gained from Well-Connected and Information Broker.
Devices [Background]
“Hold on tight. This baby has a bit more get-up-and-go than your typical P–34.”
Devices are guns, bioware, computers and vehicles that have special functions or powers that separate them from common equipment. They are highly valuable, often being prototypes or extreme modifications of existing gear. A computer with a built-in laser or a ship with olambuilt-inium platbuilt-ing are both examples of Devices. Make sure you have a plausible reason for possessing something so unique.
If you have access to the Gadget/Device background and super-science rules from Adventure!Adventure!Adventure!Adventure!Adventure! or AberrantAberrantAberrantAberrantAberrant, those rules replace the listings presented here. (Since the overall technology level in TrinityTrinityTrinityTrinity is higher than in the other two Trinity UniverseTrinity time periods, super-science rules are not included here.)
TRINITY
Gadget
A piece of cutting-edge technology.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: A Gadget is an upgraded version of an existing piece of technology (biotech or hardtech) whose cost does not exceed 15 + your Wealth bonus. You may allocate a total +5 bonus among the device’s different capabilities — weapon accuracy, handling, hardness and the like. A psiware gadget is considered formatted and has a tolerance rating (TR) 1.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, with each representing a different device.
Prototype
An unparalleled device with numerous integrated features.
Prerequisite:
Benefit: As a starting template, use an existing piece of technology (biotech or hardtech) whose cost does not exceed 20 + your Wealth bonus. You may then apply either a total +10 bonus among its different capabilities, or a number of built-in and integrated pieces of other equipment whose total cost does not exceed 10 + your Wealth bonus. A psiware prototype is considered formatted and has TR 2.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, with each representing a different device.
Masterpiece
You have a strange and heretofore unknown piece of technology that operates on little-understood principles.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: Gadget, Prototype Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: As a starting template, use an existing piece of technology (biotech or hardtech) whose cost does not exceed 30 + your Wealth bonus. You may then apply either a total +15 bonus among its different capabilities, or a number of built-in and integrated pieces of other equipment whose total cost does not exceed 15 + your Wealth bonus. A psiware masterpiece is considered formatted and has TR 3.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, with each representing a different device.
Followers [Background]
“If we all pull together, we can get the engines back online before we burn up in re-entry.”
Followers are ordinary people, NPCs who obey your orders.
They may be your loyal assistants, crew under your command or thrillseekers who share your love of adventure. Whatever the case, you must maintain that relationship — loyalty to a cause, signing paychecks, espousing a philosophy — through the course of your series or your followers will become disillusioned and look for more rewarding pursuits. Likewise, followers are not blindly obedient and may leave if treated callously. Followers killed in the line of duty are not replaced automatically; you need to recruit them through roleplay.
A follower has one particular asset or talent, but otherwise does not enjoy tremendous breadth of ability (if he did, he wouldn’t be following you). A follower lacks the accomplishment of an ally or a contact.
Retainers
You have a few reliable agents.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: Three 1st-level followers or one 2nd-level follower.
Troops
You have a band of loyal followers.
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite: Retainers; character level 4th.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: Eight 1st-level followers or three 2nd-level followers.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: These followers add to those gained from Retainers.
Legions
You have a great number of people willing to do what you say.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: Retainers, Servants; character level 8th.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: The number of followers you can call on depends on how loyal and how skilled they are. Conceptually, you could have anything from a dozen expert assassins to hundreds of normal people (or, perhaps, a little more gullible than the norm) who follow you as long as it doesn’t get them in trouble. Practically, you determine your followers’
loyalty and parameters of skill, as indicated in the corresponding chart.
Once that’s set, roll as indicated determine how many members of your legions you can call upon in each game session.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: These followers add to those gained from Retainers and Servants.
Follower FollowerFollower
FollowerFollower Degree of SkillDegree of SkillDegree of SkillDegree of SkillDegree of Skill Loyalty
LoyaltyLoyalty
LoyaltyLoyalty AverageAverageAverageAverageAverage11111 CompetentCompetentCompetentCompetentCompetent22222 ProfessionalProfessionalProfessionalProfessionalProfessional33333 Hired
HiredHired
HiredHired d% + 3d8 5d10 2d8 Loyal
LoyalLoyal
LoyalLoyal d% + 3d6 4d8 2d6
Fanatic FanaticFanatic
FanaticFanatic d% + 3d4 4d6 2d4
1 1st-level.
2 3rd-level, up to 25% may be psions or aliens.
3 5th-level, up to 50% may be psions or aliens.
Hired followers are just that — they don’t put in any effort beyond what they get paid to do.
Loyal followers trust in your leadership, but won’t sacrifice themselves for the cause — each gains a +2 bonus on saving throws and skill checks to resist betraying you knowingly.
Fanatic followers give themselves fully to the cause — each is immune to any psi feat or skill check that would cause them to abandon you or subject you to harm knowingly.
Influence [Background]
“I’d really like a seat on that commission, Governor. Any way to fit me in?”
Influence reflects your pull and status in normal society. This may derive from political office, running a business, or being an entertainer or even a religious figure. Whatever your specific credentials, people pay attention to your words and deeds.
Influence may be used to garner special favors from others, to promote a personal agenda in public or to simply get a good seat at the theater. Additionally, Influence may be drawn on to network and to make important connections — or even to draw more people under your sway.
This background doesn’t cover standing in a private organization; that’s handled by Backing.
Celebrity
You are a regional newsmaker of some note.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: Gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. Additionally, on a successful DC 15 Diplomacy check, you can get access for casual or professional conversation with a politician, media representative or celebrity within your sphere of influence (large metropolitan area or small country).
TRINITY
Luminary
You’re renowned internationally for an area of expertise or have a broader influence in a smaller area.
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite:
Prerequisite: Celebrity; character level 4th.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: Gain an extra +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks (total +4).
Also, once per session you can call for (or call off) official or public intervention — summon the police, arrange for a search warrant, have a nosy reporter pulled off a story, etc. — within your sphere of influence (large nation or small continent). You can’t use this to break the law, but you can certainly bend it. Still, using this for trivial and/
or falsified reasons may work for the moment, but could have repercussions later — whether bringing your activities to the attention of others in power or even resulting in your arrest.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: This benefit adds to that gained from Celebrity.
Icon
You seldom debate with the top minds in your field, for your views wield such authority that it’s almost impossible to gainsay your words. Even if your renown is in art history, your influence as a great mind of the early 22nd century lends you tremendous clout in other areas. Whether global politics or military strategy, if you can speak on the subject knowledgeably, people will give everything you say serious consideration.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: Celebrity, Luminary; character level 8th.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: Gain an extra +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks (total +6).
Once per character level, you may attempt to call for (or call off) official or media attention on an international scale. The world at large may not know about your influence in the matter, but there’s no hiding your involvement from other figures of power. This requires a Diplomacy check with the DC based on the desired outcome.
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special:
Special: This benefit adds to that gained from Celebrity and Luminary.
DC DC DC DC
DC Desired OutcomeDesired OutcomeDesired OutcomeDesired OutcomeDesired Outcome 10 Trigger a local protest
15 Have a major OpNet news source run an exposé 20 Tie up a bill in committee
25 Call for a political prisoner’s release
30 Have top secret diplomatic or corporate information leaked
40 Mobilize the Legions
Mentor [Background]
“Stop trying to hit me and hit me!”
A Mentor is many things: a patron, teacher, defender and friend. You may see one or all of these facets at any given time.
While a mentor won’t always respond to your requests for help, he always acts in your best interests (or what he considers best). A mentor-student relationship is a complex and personal association that entails responsibilities on both sides. It should be the subject of involved roleplaying.
A mentor may be a high-ranking psion of your order, or even someone seemingly unrelated to your circumstances who has taken a special interest in your development. A mentor may teach modes or abilities or make information or resources available, depending on his capabilities and means. He may also serve as your advocate in dealing with a particular organization, or may simply show up in time to pull you out of a tight spot. It’s advisable not to rely on a mentor too much, though.
TRINITY Each Mentor feat lists the mentor’s character level in relation
to yours. This is influenced further by his availability and influence, as indicated below. Each level modifier increases the mentor’s level relative to you, but reduces his maximum possible level. So, an Old Pro who is moderately available gains one additional character level and is reduced to a 9th-level possible maximum.
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit:
Benefit: Increase your Wealth bonus by +4. An item’s purchase DC is considered 10 points lower when applying a Wealth bonus decrease. The item’s purchase price remains the same, and the decrease for a purchase DC 15 or higher still applies.